Generally, it’s more efficient to pull the train, rather than push it, because pushed cars “ladder.” It’s similar to the pushing a string analogy posted above. The cars will zigzag slightly, one to the left, the next to the right, pushing the wheel flanges against the inside of the rails and increasing friction.

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Length of Your Train

The radius is measured from the center of the track to the center of the curve. A circle of 18″ radius is 36″ across, which is why about 40″ is needed. An oval made of twelve 9″ straights and a circle of 18″ radius will fill out most of the plywood, but won’t come to the edges.

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The extreme efficiency and success of these trains is why almost all of the commuter rail services in the United States and Canada utilize 100% push–pull operation on their locomotive-hauled trains.

Secondly, a train that has a pulling engine is much easier to design and build. Most train cars are connected by a “tether” of sorts, which is much closer to a string than it is to a stick. It is a lot easier to design and build connections that are strings that pull cars than sticks that push cars.

If you have ever been near a train when it starts to move, you see (and hear) something interesting. The engine car at the front starts to move and in doing so, you get this wave of compressing couplings between all the cars. Basically, the idea is that a train tried to start with the caboose brakes stuck on.

Not all trains are distributed power, engines on both ends, as well. Edit: Engines on both ends help to control in-train forces, the cars bumping into each other, called buff and draft. By reducing those forces you reduce the risk of breaking the train into pieces.

By placing DPUs throughout the train rather than just at the rear—thus distributing power more evenly—railroads were able to enhance a train’s carrying capacity. Computers in both the lead unit and remote units also allow an engineer to coordinate braking and acceleration, as well as redistribute power as they see fit.

The Tier 4 locomotive is designed for a typical lifespan of 25 to 30 years. It’s the best GE can make right now, and they think it will be viable through at least 2023.

So, How much do locomotives cost? A diesel locomotive could cost from $500,000-$2 million. While an electric locomotive could cost more than $6 million. Price depends on whether it is powered by AC or DC traction, how much horsepower it has, or what electronics it is equipped with.

Tier 4 locomotives are compliant with the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions standards and will reduce particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 85 percent compared to older locomotives.

In the United States, all locomotives that operate on the national network of Class I railroads, and connecting regional railroads and shortlines, have the engineer situated on the right hand side. Thus, having the engineer situated on the right hand said makes it easier for him to see the signals.